Cigarette-making machine



y 1 w. E. MOLINS 1,757,380

CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 1925 i lNvENTok 1;, mm 27% Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES I \1,151,'3so

WALTER EVERETT KOLINS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND CIGARETTE-MAKING MACHINE Application filed December 7, 1925, Serial No. 73,799, and in (ii-eat Britain December 31, 1924.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to cigarette machinery and more particularly to a method and apparatus for applying cork or like tips to a travelling web of cigarette paper.

In cigarette makingmachines of the continuous rod type a travelling web of cigarette paper is fed to the machine and tobacco is rolled in the paper so as to convert the tobacco a and the web into a continuous rod which is thereafter severed into cigarettes.

In order to manufacture cork or like tipped cigarettes it is necessary to apply at regular intervals along the travelling web tips ofcork t or like material which are equal in width to the web of cigarette paper and of twice the length of the tip of a cigarette, such that when the web of cigarette paper and the tobacco are converted into a continuous rod cork bands 19 are formed around the rod at intervals spaced apart by a distance equal to twice the length of a cigarette. The rod thus formed is severed at the mid length of the said bands and cork tipped cigarettes are manufactured wherein the mouth piece of each cigarette is situated adjacent to its neighbour.

It is found in practice that it is extremely difficult to secure accurately a cork or like tip to a travelling web of cigarette paper. The

30 errors are due to either an insufficient amount of or too much gum being applied to the web of cigarette paper such that the tip has either an insufficient supply of adhesive and therefore peels on, or too much gum, in which case it squeezes out from the edges of the tip and spoils the appearance of the cigarette.

Further there is a tendency for the tips to be moved out of line as they are fed to the travelling web of/cigarette paper, thereby causing the tip to be secured to the cigarette paper out of register therewith.

It is an object of the present invention to provide means whereby a constant amount of adhesive is appliedto the travelling web of cigarette paper so as to ensure that the tip is provided with just sufiicient adhesive to ensure its correct adhesion, therebylimiting the time requisite for drying the same to a minimum.

The present invention consists of a method of applying cork or like tips to a travelling web of cigarette paper which comprises:

(a) Supplying an adhesive (for exam le gum) to the surface of a roller provided with an intaglio engraving;

b) Removing the gum from the surface of said roller'so as to leave a definite quantity thereof in the engraved portion of the roller; (0) Applying the said roller to a travelling web of cigarette pappr so as to imprint at regular intervals upon t e surface of the said web constant amounts of gum; and

' (d) Periodically applying a tip to the cigarette papersuch that the same registers with the gummed portions thereof.

Further the present invention consists of a device for use in securing, at regular intervals, cork or like tips to a travelling web of cigarette paper which'comprises' a roller havmg an intaglio engraved portion thereon, means (for example a gum bath) adapted to supply adhesive to said roller, a doctor or like means adapted to bear upon the surface of said roller, a pressure roller adapted to bear upon the said engraved roller and means for continuously feeding a web of cigarette paper between the said rollers.

The invention is more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates mechanism for gumming a web of cigarette paper and feeding the cork or like tips thereto, and in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view of one form of a device illustrating the principles of the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an engraved roller suitable for applying adhesive to the cigarette paper.

The present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to a web of cigarette paper which is fed from a reel through a printing, gumming and tipping mechanism to a cigarette making machine of the continuous rod type where the cigarette paper is fed withtobacco and converted into a continuous I 95 rod which is thereafter severed into cigarettes.

The web 1 of cigarette paper is fed between an engraved roller 2 which 1s provided on its cylindrical surface with an intaglio engrav- 100 ing of predetermined depth adapted to imprint an impression of a rectangular formation of a dimension equal to the width of the web of cigarette paper and of a length equal to twice the length of a tip for a cigarette. Adapted tobear upon the surface of the roller 2 is a doctor blade 2 which is preferably arranged to reciprocate over the surface thereof.- The roller 2 is adapted to receive a supply of gum from the bath 3 from a roller 4, whlch is carried by a swivelling bracket 5 and pressed into engagement with the roller 2 by means of a tension spring 6. .The roller 4 is adapted to dip into a bath 3 and is rotatable therein due to friction by the roller 2. Mounted above the roller 2 is a pressure roller 7 carried by one arm 8 of a bell crank lever pivotally mounted on a pin 9. The second arm 10 of the lever is connected to a spring 11 which tends to hold the pressure roller 7 in contact with the engraved roller 2.

The web of cigarette paper extends from the roller 2 around the. roller 12 so as to bring the surface of the web which engages with the roller 2 uppermost, and also to locate it in the tangential plane common to the rollers 12, 13 and 14 and the edges of the fixed and rotary blades 15 and 16 of a rotary cutter of a cork tip feed to be hereinafter described.

The cork tip feed comprises a pair of feed rollers 13 and 14, of which 13 is positively driven so as to feed a web 17 of cork towards a rotary cutting mechanism, at a speed slower than the speed of the cigarette paper. The cutting mechanism is preferably constructed according to my patent application No. 15,810 of 15th October, 1925.

Mounted above the roller 12 is a gripping roller 18, which is positively driven at the speed of the web 1 and is provided with a flattened face 18. which is adapted to periodically grip the leading edge of the web of cork and press it upon the web ofcigarette paper. The rollers 12 and 14 are adapted to be moved out of engagement with the rollers 18 and 13 so as to allow new webs of cigarette paper and cork to be placed into position and adjusted. The roller 12 is carried upon one arm 19 of a lever adapted to pivot about a pin 20, and aspring 21 normally tends to hold the roller 12 in engagement with the roller 18.

An adjustable stop 22 is provided to limit the movement of the roller 12 towards the gripping roller 18. Secured to the arm 19 so as to form an extension thereof is an arm 23 which is adapted to engage through an adjustable pin 24 with one arm 25 of a. lever pivoted about a pin 26 and carrying at its free end the roller 14'.

The arm 27 which carries the arms 19 and 23 is adapted to be moved to the left against the influence ofthe spring 21 and in so doing the roller 12 is moved out of engagement with the roller 18 and the pin engages: with.

the arm 25 and moves the roller out of engage ment with the roller 13.

Thus it will be seen that in operation the travelling Web of cigarette paper passes between the rollers 2 and 7, and due to the roller 2 havin an intaglio engraving of a definite depth f brmed thereon a definite quantity of gum is applied to the web at regular intervals along its length.

The web passes from the roller 2 over the roller 12, where the gummed face of the web is turned uppermost, and as the leading edge of the gummed portion moves into proximity with the flattened face of the gripping roller 18, the leading edge of the web of cork registers with the leading edge of the gummed portion of the cigarette paper and the end 18' of the flattened face of the gripping roller 18 grips the leading edge of the cork and presses it into engagement with the Web of cigarette paper, whereupon'the cutting mechanism si multaneously severs a cork tip from the travelling web. The rotary cutter is preferably arranged to travel at the speed of the web of cigarette paper in order to ensure that the gripping roller will not tear the tip from the Web of cork.

Due to the fact that the leading edge of the cork tip is gripped simultaneously with the cutting operation of the tip, all liability of the tip being moved relatively to the web of cigarette paper is obviated.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device for use in securing at regular intervals cork or like tips to a traveling web of cigarette paper which comprises an engraved roller for applying periodically a predetermined quantity of adhesive to a traveling web of cigarette paper, means for continuously feeding a web'of cork in the direction of the traveling web of cigarette paper in such a manner that the leading edge of the corkweb registers with the leading edge of the gummed portion of the cigarette paper, and means adapted to receive and press the leading edge of the cork web upon the traveling web of cigarette paper as a tip is being severed therefrom without interrupting the constant continuous-travel of the cigarette paper or the cork Web and thereafter press the severed tip upon the gummed portion of the cigarette paper.

2. A device for use in securing at regular intervals cork or like tips to a traveling web of cigarette paper which comprises a roller having a portion only of its periphery provided with intaglio engraving, a gum bath adapted to supply adhesive to said roller, a doctor adapted to bear upon the surface of said roller, a ressure roller adapted to bear upon the sur ace of said engraved roller, a

pair of rollers for feeding th'web of cigarette paper between the said rollers and thereafter in. the direction of a traveling web, a

pair of rollers for continuously feeding the said web of cork towards the web of cigarette paper, a cutting mechanism adapted to sever a tip from said web of cork without interrupting the constant feed thereof and means adapted to grip each tip as it is being severed from the web and thereafter ress the same upon the gummed portion 0 the cigarette paper.

3. A device for use in securing at regular intervals cork or like tips to a traveling web of cigarette paper which comprises a roller having a portion only of its periphery provided with intaglio engraving, a um bath adapted to supply adhesive to sai roller, a doctor adapted to bear upon the surface of said roller, a pressure roller mounted for movement toward and away from said engraved roller and adapted to bear upon the surface thereof, means for feeding the web of ci arette paper between the said rollers and t ereafter in the direction of a traveling web, a pair of rollers for feedin the said web of cork towards the web 0 cigarette paper, and a cuttin mechanism adapted to sever a tip from sai web of cork, said means being adapted to gri each tip as it is severed from the web and ereafter ress the same upon the gummed portion 0 the cigarette paper.

4. A device for ap lying a cork or like tip to a traveling web 0 cigarette paper which comprises means for applying periodically a predetermined quantity of adhesive to a traveling web of cigarette paper, means for continuously feeding the web of cork or like material in the direction of the web of cigarette paper in such a manner that the leading edge of the cork web registers with the leading edge of the gummed portion of the cigarette aper and means for pressing the leading e e 0 the cork web upon the traveling web 0 cigarette paper as the tip is being severed from the web and thereafter pressing the severed tip onto the gummed portion of the cigarette paper during the constant continuous trave of the cigarette paper or the cork web.

5. A device for ap lying cork or like tips to a traveling web 0 cigarette paper which comprises a roller provi ed with an intaglio engraving of twice the dimensions of a cigarette tip. means for supplying adhesive to the surface of said roller, means for scraping the gum from the surface of said roller so as to leave a definite quantity of gum in the engraved portion thereof, means for applying said roller to the surface of a traveling web of cigarette paper to imprint at re lar intervals, upon the surface of said we a constant amount of gum, means for feeding a web of cork or like material at aconstant speed in'the direction of the traypling web of cigarette paper in such a manner that the leading edge of the cork web registers with ci arette aper leiding edge of the leading edge of the gummed portion of and means for pressing the eling web of cigarette pa r as the tip is being severed from the we during the constant continuous travelof the cigarette paper or the cork web and thereafter pressing the severed tip onto the gummed portion of the cigarette paper.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

WALTER EVERETT MOLINS.

the cork tip upon the trav-, 

